Makar-Limanov's conjecture on free subalgebras. (Q1034090)

The following very interesting examples of associative algebras are constructed. Theorem 1. Over every countable field \(K\) there is an algebra \(A\) without free noncommutative subalgebras of rank two such that the polynomial ring \(A[x]\) in one indeterminate \(x\) over \(A\) contains a free noncommutative \(K\)-algebra of rank two. As an application the following result is obtained. Theorem 2. For every countable field \(K\) there is a field \(F\) with \(K\subset F\) and a \(K\)-algebra \(A\) without noncommutative free subalgebras of rank two such that the algebra \(A\otimes_KF\) contains a noncommutative free \(K\)-subalgebra of rank two. This answers a question of Makar-Limanov. These results are strengthened by adding the additional assumption that the original algebra \(A\) is a nil algebra. Theorem 3. Over every countable field \(K\) there is a nil algebra \(N\) such that the polynomial ring \(N[X_1,\dots,X_6]\) in six commuting indeterminates \(X_1,\dots,X_6\) over \(N\) contains a free noncommutative \(K\)-algebra of rank two. As an application the following result is derived. Theorem 4. Over every countable field \(K\) there is a field \(F\), \(K\subset F\) and a nil algebra \(R\) such that the algebra \(R\otimes_KF\) contains a free \(K\)-algebra of rank two. Recall that if an algebra contains a free noncommutative algebra of rank two then it also contains a noncommutative free algebra of arbitrarily high rank.